Members do not see these Ads. Sign Up.

If the intervention involves a foot orthoses how can the intervention group participant be 'blind' if they can perceive a difference in surface topography of material which has resistance to deformation relative to before intervention whilst the control participant would possibly perceive no difference from the 'so-called' sham orthoses?

 

Yes; that is a problem. But you try to blind them by spinning as much "bullshit" as possible so they think that they are not in the placebo group.
You give the same spiel to both groups.

 

thanks craig

 

The best way this was described to me was to imagine if someone from your experimental group was sitting next to someone from your control group out in the waiting room, and they were chatting about their participation in your study. Think about the obvious things they could discuss which would alert them to which group they were in - and start there when you design your study.

 

The 'scientific method' of inquiry is very problematic for investigation of orthoses etc. That likely will never change.